Ophiocord.exe
Ophiocord.exe is a mysterious, unknown parasite with the ability to manifest both physically and digitally/in cyberspace. Currently, its 'alpha host' is ecologist Eleanor Trixheap. Appearance Although it can be different by host, and Ophiocord.exe's true appearance is largely unknown, it manifests initially as a computer virus that causes irritating popups to appear, deletes and corrupts files, and generally annoys its prey as a means of hypnosis. It then infects its prey while it is distracted, overtaking the technological host, sinking its tendrils in and slowly overwhelming the prey's body and mind. As the transformation progresses, the prey's body is covered by a plasticky greyish shell, covered in bulging neon veins. The feet are generally turned into claws that emit an electric wave that allows them to float and glide silently, while the hands are converted either into claws that dispense a paralytic venom, or USB-like whip tendrils that can infect others. The number of tendrils ranges from 5 in regular infectees, to 9 in the alpha infectee. The face is blotted out by flashing popups that, like in the digital stage, can hypnotise prey. Behaviour Initial Infection Process The Ophiocord.exe starts as a computer virus, but it is unknown how it gets into computers, or where it comes from. It behaves like a particularly nasty malware and/or adware virus, often either hypnotising animalistic prey with its flashing colours or infecting human/sapient hosts that attempt to cure the virus. It then moves to its next phase, which involves overtaking the physical technology - turning ports into tendril openings and screens into traplike membranes - using this to infect the living host. It then infects the living host, burrowing deep and corrupting their body and mind. It transforms the alpha host's body into the perfect infection machine, supressing their free will and identity, keeping their consciousness intact while completely controlling their body, using them to infect others. Further Infections Once the alpha host is fully infected, others are also infected, by way of the USB-like tendrils. However, as this may take some time, it oftens sets up a nest, where it takes paralysed victims if it hasn't the time to fully infect them on the spot. Other infected are less powerful than the alpha host, but are just as driven to infect, almost like a hive mind. Infection can be interrupted, but partial infection is very difficult to cure or reverse without destroying the alpha host. Destruction/Hibernation If the alpha host is killed, damaged beyond usefulness, or (miraculously) cured, the infection usually retreats, which allows lesser infectees to be more easily cured, as the hivemind shuts down and infectees, while still physically... ''gross, ''regain control of their bodies. The virus then goes into hibernation to regain strength for its next attempt, but it is unknown where. The likelihood of an alpha host surviving this whole cycle is slim. Behaviour of Ophiocord.exe Itself Ophiocord.exe is an excellent hunter, seemingly driven solely by a desire to incoorporate all into its hivemind, though it is unknown why. It is incredibly intelligent and self-preservatory, as well as a skilled predator. Although its primary objective is to hunt and infect, it has shown the capacity to mock victims, so there is some debate over whether it is a self-aware being capable of complex thought or simply an animalistic, instinctual hunter. Origin Ophiocord.exe's origins are unknown. Nobody knows entirely whether it's an alien, manmade, or something else, and those attempting to track it are unsure of how long it's been around (although it likely found a reneissance during the computer age), or if it's only targeting, or has targeted, Earth. Most worrying of all, it is unsure of whether there is only one of it, and if there is more than one, what would happen if two alpha viruses met. Trivia *Its name is a pun on the ophiocordyceps fungus (or ophiocordyceps unilateralis), also known as the zombie ant fungus, as well as the common filename for an executable program, .exe. Category:Monsters Category:Technology Category:Villains Category:Unsolved Mysteries